Global Patent Index - EP 1000732 A2

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Title (de)

Title (fr)

Publication

Application

Priority

JP 32187998 A 19981112

Abstract (en)

An ultrasonic welding apparatus (1) includes an ultrasonic horn (3) holding a resin stud (7) having a flange (5) and an engagement shank (6), and a body (2) to bring the flange of the stud (7) held by the ultrasonic horn into contact with a workpiece, so that the flange (5) is ultrasonic-welded onto the workpiece. The ultrasonic welding apparatus further includes a stud receiving member (10) to receive the resin stud (7) in the manner that the flange is advanced ahead from a feeding tube (9); and a moving mechanism (a first arm (19), a first arm cylinder (21), a second arm (23), a second arm cylinder (25), and the like) to move the stud receiving member (10) to a position below the ultrasonic horn (3). The moving mechanism can move the engagement shank (6) of the resin stud (7) in the stud receiving member (10) to a position adjacent to a housing portion (30) of the ultrasonic horn (3). The stud receiving member is formed with a recess (11) to seat the flange (5) therein. Negative pressure is applied to the seating recess (11) to vacuum-tack the flange. The rim of the seating recess is formed in a mortar configuration so that the flange can be positioned in the center of the seating recess. This provides an ultrasonic welding apparatus of a simple structure which allows a resin fastener to be automatically loaded into an ultrasonic horn, and to provide an ultrasonic welding method of high operational efficiency. <IMAGE>